1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a switching device for producing at least one switching signal that can be evaluated electrically, comprising a housing with an externally accessible actuator cap mounted on it in a swiveling arrangement and one or more transmission elements mounted in the housing that have their first end face facing the inside of the actuator cap and their second end face facing a contact switch installed in the housing, and interacting with this when the actuator cap is activated.
2. Description of the Prior Art
A two-stage switch is disclosed in EP 1463077 B1, the actuator cap of which that is mounted in a swiveling arrangement on the housing acts on a first subsection of the transmission element that is configured as an actuator foot, by means of which the contact switch is activated when the actuator cap is pressed down. The movement angle of the actuator cap is limited in this case, so that the movement travel of the actuator foot largely corresponds to the swiveling angle of the actuator cap.
Therefore, as soon as the actuator cap makes contact with a stop, the actuator foot is no longer moved. Now, in order to activate a second contact switch arranged opposite the first contact switch, the actuator cap is held pressed against the stop and moved about the fulcrum formed in this way opposite to the direction of the first movement travel, so that the actuator cap moves a second actuator foot of the transmission element in the direction of a contact switch arranged below that. In the area of the second contact switch, there is also a stop formed on the actuator cap, by means of which the movement travel of the second actuator foot is restricted.
The two contact switches are accordingly activated by tilting the actuator cap in two opposite directions. The switching signals produced by the contact switches can be electrically evaluated, for example in order to activate a servomotor used for moving a window pane installed in a vehicle.
It has proven to be a disadvantage with this state of the art that only two switching signals can be produced, which exclusively specify two different operating positions, namely moving the window pane until the first contact switch is deactivated, or moving the window pane as far as the end position if both contact switches are closed. Although a corresponding electronic control unit with an associated electrical evaluation unit allows these operating positions to be adapted to any requirement profiles, having additional operating positions makes it necessary to provide additional two-stages switches of this kind, therefore in order to achieve raising of the window in a car as well it would be necessary to install another switch.
Once the second switching position has been reached in the two-stage switch according to EP 1 463 077 B1, the actuator switch can no longer be swiveled or moved in the direction of the original actuation direction, because the actuator cap is positioned against the stop. The confirmation pressure communicated to the user is therefore significantly characterized by reaching the stop; the state of the art does not provide a defined movement possibility beyond the moment of switching. Rather, the stop is reached directly and the movement travel of the actuator cap is stopped.
A further disadvantage lies in the fact that the actuator cap for actuating the two contact switches initially has to be moved in a first swiveling direction and, once the stop limiting this movement has been reached, it has to be moved in a second, opposite, swiveling direction in order to actuate both contact switches simultaneously.